Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-11-28
TRE SOUTHERN NEGRO VOTE.

IhE SUI IhEtAN cb0SO NOAHs
SENATOR COLoUTrT, Of Georgia, in the
Forum, very cOnclusively answers the
question Of the suppression Of the negro
vote in the South. He calls attention to
the fact that the subject has been eompar-
atiyely quiescent until now when the Re
publican party sadly needs . national Is
sue. "For some years." says the Senator
eve in the South have been congratulations
ourselves that we had all gone manfully to
work repairing the waste places, and seek
ing under unwonted conditions, new ave-
nuesto profitable industry. Some Of these
avenues we have discovered, and are hope
fully entering them. OF one thing friends
and foes may rest assured, that the people
of the southern States are not so foolish as
to believe that their peace, their
prosperity, or even their safety
can be assured if o moiety Of the
population is treated with injustice and de-
MED its rights in the state. And though
the assertion will be challenged, / never
theless affirm that 4 sense Of moral and re-
ligious responsibility is restraining and di-
recting us in our state polity and practice;
and, considering the tremendous hindranc-
Is and distractions that have been in our
way, think We have had more than an
average success in discharging the obliga-
tions imposed upon us. The results of
our efforts are our sufficient vindieation
with all, save tho blind partisans who
have condemned the southern people to
outlawTy."
The Senator then goes on to prove
his assertions by the figures. He shows
that the single state of Georgia was made
$4sl, 200, 600 poorer by the war and
and that, though made hsrried province
by the Republican party and practically
condemned to outlawTy, she hiss by hard
uneeasing and manly toll made up over
SIPS, 100000 this amount to date, and
since 1871 placed the names Of over So
900 cOlored children on the rolls Of the
public schools, aud the SsnitOr adds: TO
whom should the credit of this be given?
Surely not 10 the men who, 50 far from
evineiug Jealous and intelligent interest
in the edueatian Of the freedom of the
State, either misapprOpriated or stole the
funds which hadbssn set aside for their
schools. No sooner had eArpet-bag as
tendency aud misrule ceased, than the
southern man, the truest friend to the
negro, inaGgurated the system and policy
that reflect such credit upon the sincerity
and humanity of the South. Rspu6lieanism
practically declared that all the negro was
and all he had were captured assets Of the
party, and should be held for its exclusive
use. Who ever heard, in the evil time Of
reconstruction, greed, and misrule, any
thing OF the present Outcry against wrong
ful or neglected. treatment of the freed
man?''
The Senator then deals at length with
Gov. FORAKER He quotes from a recent
speech Of the Governors, which is familiar
to most of our readers, and in which the
Governor attempted TO prove by figures
that the negroes are not allowed to vote
by showing that not nearly the full vote is
cast. OF this Mr.. CoLoUTrT says:
The vote of the State of Georgia, for the
year 1866, all told, was las, sos whites and
90, 42S blacks. But Gov. Foraker says this
vote ought TO be ct least 300, 900, and &C
cording to his estimate Of $4,000 votes to
a district such it would be. But the fact
is, that the whole vote of the State does
not amount to $500 Since 1881 there
has not been, in Georgia, such state of
excitement in our politics as to evoke the
full vote. In that year, as well remem-
Der, there was convention Of the Repub-
hcan party, which met in the Representa-
tiyes' Hall of the Capitol. That conven-
ton was very largely composed of colOred
men. It's President was a negro, OF hue deep
enough to have perfectly satisfied Wendell
Phillips He was chosen, we suppose, In
pursuance Of the programme, over Mr..
Alderman, a member well known rs an
ex-Attorney General of the United States.
Among the noted acts Of this convention
were bitter resolution or two on the
Cadet Whitaker case, and q resolution
that the negroes Of Georgia were entitled
to two-thirds of the offices in the State.
The doings Of that convention give the all
sufficient explanation Of the light vote
east in the last congressional election in
Georgia. That convention had 50 little of
the spirit of concession add forbearanee,
and seemed 30 Indifferent to the feelings
and rights Of its white members and its
white constituents, that . degree Of dis
gust and hopeleSsness for the triumph OF
Rspubhcanism in Georgia was created,
which continues to this day. This fairly
accounts for the slim vote which gives such
ofense to governor Foraker and his politi-
cal friends
Senator CoLoUTTT then goes into details,
quoting the figures on recent Congressional
elections to prove his position and to dem
onstrate that the vote cast must naturally
fall far behind the full in the event Of no
excitement or opposition to bring out full
party vote He estimates the fdll vote Of
Georgia at 24s,233 The vote cast for the
election of members to the 49tn congress
was 125. 99l Then, along side Of this he
places the fact that in the same election the
vote Of Pennsylvania fell short of the num-
Der of electors Of that State by over 100, 900,
and asks if that disproportion was due 70
fraud or intimidation
partisan zealand partisan catehwOrds, !"
says the Senator, have made us all famil'
lar with the solid south All enemies Of
the South and of the National DEMOCRATIC
party mean it for q reprOaeh- As for the
white vote OF the South there Is every rea-
son why it should be 'solid;' the very In
stinet Of sslEpressrvatiOn demanded that
it should beso. Why shOad not the white
men OF the South stand together when il
seemed that the whole world was against
A 81 ~ - awforxnol